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$2,700,000 Settlement for Family of Man Killed in 28-foot fall from a Roller Coaster at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

On March 20, 2011, 47 year-old Brian Greenhouse fell more than 28 feet from a car on the Hi-Miler roller coaster at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The roller coaster was owned, maintained, and operated by Ray Cammack Shows, Inc., a traveling carnival company. Mr. Greenhouse, who sustained serious chest and head injuries, was transported by EMS to the emergency room where he was later pronounced dead.

Greenhouse’s ex-wife, on behalf of his 6 year-old son and his estate, and his 2 parents sued Ray Cammack Shows, Inc. and the HLSR for negligently maintaining the lap bar locking mechanism on the ride. After taking more than 2 dozen depositions, traveling around the country, interviewing other witnesses, and working with the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, the attorneys at Denena & Points, P.C., along with their co-counsel, Tony Taft, uncovered the reason for the locking mechanism’s failure. Due to alleged negligent maintenance, the team discovered that the pin holding the locking latch in place was itself held in place by a single set screw, which was out of place following Greenhouse’s fall. Without the set screw securely holding the latch pin in place, the restraint bar was allowed to move freely in certain situations. The physical forces were present on the evening of March 20, 2011, to allow the lap bar to open at the crest of the hill just before Greenhouse was ejected from the car.

Despite denying any wrongdoing throughout the entire case, the defense had no response to the numerous fact witnesses who came forward to testify that the bar in the same car in which Greenhouse was riding had spontaneously opened on them at various times durng the 2 years prior to Greenhouse’s death.